Vapor-converter and controlling device therefor.



P. H. THOMAS.

VAPOR CONVERTER AND CONTROLLING DEVICE THEREFOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 20, 1905.

1,004,106 Pa en ed Sept. 26, 1911.

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To all whom-it may concern: 1 .Be it known that I, PERCY H. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Montclair, county of Essex, State of New 6 Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Converters and Controlling Devic'es Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a conven- '10 ient mode of'construction of vapor converter and to circuits connected therewith whereby sucha device can be automatically 7 started into operation and maintained in operation without being itself handled by the operator.

The invention will be understood by reference to the present description 1n connection with the drawing which is a diagram of circuits which may conveniently be used for this purpose in connection with'an elevation of a converter capable of being operated as set forth above.

The converter is provided with a container, 1, of any suitable material, and with 1 positive electrodes, 2 and 3, say, of iron, and Y a negative electrode, 4, of mercury, or other conducting liquid.

The device isalso provided with a suppl'emental electrode, 5, which may also be a p liquid,the material of the electrodes 4vand 5 being contained in adjacent pockets between which is a ridge, .6. I 7

When the converter is in-the position illustrated in the drawing, the liquid which will 85 hereinafter be described as' mercury over runs the ridge 6 so that there is a conducting connection between the mercury in the two adjacent pockets. By tiltin the converter, however, into the position illustrated 40 in dotted lines, a separation may be caused 3 between the mercn object of which after.

' i The container 1 is provided with knife in the two pockets, the W111 be explained herein -edges on opposite sides, one of which knife edges is shown at 7.- These knife edges rest upon notched supports, one of which up pears inithe drawing at 8. A similar construction as regards the parts 7 and 8 occurs v on the opposite side of the container, but it is not thought necessary to illustrate it specifically.

The alternating current which it is intended that the described converter should rectify maybe derived from any suitable Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 26, 1911 Application filed January 20, 1905.

Serial No. 241,934.

4 source. Inthe present instance I have illustrated for this purpose a transformer, the primary, 9, of which may be assumed to be connected with any source of alternating current while its secondary, 10, has its terminals connected with the positive electrodes- 2 and 3 through suitable resistances 11 and 12. The main negative electrode 4 is'connected through an inductance 13 and throu h a work circuitcontaining translating evices, 14, 14, to an intermediate point of the secondary 10. In passing from-the negative electrode to the said intermediate point of the secondary, as described, the circuit is at one point coiled around a core, 15, which is connected by a link, 16, to a lever, 17, the latter being joined to a ring or band, 18, closely surrounding the body of the container 1.

Around the same core 15 is-wound a fine 7 wire coil, 19, which is connected through one terminal to the supplemental electrode 5 and at the other to the circuit leading to one terminal of the secondary 10. I

When it is desired to utilize the described converter for supp] ing the work-circuit containing the trans at-ing devices 14, 14, it

is only necessary to operate a switch in the circuit of the primary 9 so as to make the transformer 9, 10 active. Owing to the initial resistance at the negative electrode,

no current will immediatey pass through the converter but the passage for the current will be found through the fine wire coil 19 to the supplemental electrode 5 by way of the mercury to the, negative electrode 4 and thence through the inductance 13, the

com aratively coarse wire coil surrounding the ore 15, and a work circuit to the middle point of the secondary 10. The core 15 thus ecomes energized and islifted so as to ti the container 1 into the position illustrat in dotted lines, in which osition the sides of the support will arrest urther movement whereupon the connection between the mercury in the pockets containing the electrodes 4 and 5 is interrupted and the initial negative electrode reslstance is locally broken down. After this breaking down takes place, current may flow from either of the main positive electrodes to the negative electrode and the converter is then in operative condition suited for rectifying the alternating currents supplied to it.

One of the coils surrounding the core 15 has'been'described as a fine wire coil. This coil is cut-out of operation as soon as the described rupture takes place inthe mer-' cury. The other coil consists of a very small number of turns and is of comparatively from operation, the converter returns bygravity to the full line position shown in the drawing and the apparatus is ready for a repetition of the steps described when it is again desired to use the converter. In other words, as soon as the restraint due to the passage of current through the coarse wire coil is removed, the apparatus resumes its ori inal position.

.claimas my invention I 1. A converter having a plurality of positive electrodes of solid material and a supplemental positive electrode, a negative electrode of conducting liquid material, normal connection between the said main and supplemental electrodes, a main circuit connected to the positive electrodes and to the negative electrode, a supplemental circuit connected in shunt from the main circuit to' the supplemental positive electrode, and means operated by the closure of thecircuit which includes the supplemental positive electrode for separating, the normally connected negative'electrodes and starting a local flow of current between the said elec-- trodes. Y i

2. A sourceof alternatingv current, a vapor converter having a plurality of positive electrodes anda common negative electrode,

connections from the terminals of the source through the shunt circuit for separatlng the normally connected electrodes for starting" the system into operation..

3. A source of alternating current, a vapor converter having a plurality of positive electrodes and a common negative electrode,

connections from the terminals of the source to the positive electrodes, connections from an intermediate point of the source through 'a work circuit to the common negative electrode, a supplemental positive electrode cone 'nected to the main circuit bya shunt connection and also normally connected to the common negative electrode, in combination with anelectro-magnet having separate windings, one in the main and one in the shunt circuit and connections fromr'the electromagnet to the converter-whereby current traversing the shuntj'circuit-willflcause a separation of the normallyconnected electrode for starting the system into operation and current passing through the main circuit will'maintain the separation of thesaid; 1

electrodes during operation. 1

eL'A balanced vapor converter provided with suitable knife edges, in 'c ombination; i

with notched supports cooperating there} with for limiting the" swing ofthe converter; 5. The combination with a va or rectifier comprising a hermetically scale and completely exhausted container and a vaporizable reconstructing'cathode and a supplementary anode within the device, of means" for the breaking of a current carrying con-.-

tact between the cathode and the supplementary anode within the device by moving the container, for the purposes of starting,

and an electromagnet adapted tobe ener-.

by the container is maintained in the operating position afterthe starting of normal operation. a

6. The combination with an alternating current source, a vapor rectifier comprising a hermetically. sealed and completely exhau'sted container, a vaporizable reconstructing cathode and a plurality ofanodes therein, and impedances in connections'betweensaid anodes and terminals points of the source, of an electromagnetadapted to start said rectifier connected in a shunt path around one of said impedances and its cor responding anode, together with suitable connections, including a work circuit and a choke coil inthe lead from the said cathode to an intermediate oint, of said source.

7; In a system 0 electrical distribution, the combination 'Wlth a directcurrent work circuit, "of a source of alternating current and an hermetically sealed and completely exhausted container including a vaporizable reconstructing cathode and a cooperating anode, said container being mounted upon 1 suitable bearings, an electromagnet passingalternating current from thesource to said cooperating anode and adapted on such flow of current to tilt the container and cause .a

separation of the cathode and the anode, together with suitable connections. between the electrodes and the source, the connection of the cathode including said work' circuit, whereby when "on separation between the cathode and the anode, the rectifier fails to v start, the magnet -i s-deenergized and upqjnv the subsequent connection of the last named electrodes repeated tilting of the container is produced.

8. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination with a direct current work circuit, of a source of alternating current and an hermetically sealed and completely exhausted container, a plurality of electrodes and suitable starting means operating therein, an electromagnet operating said starting means in response to current from the source and repeating said operation until the starting means operate successfully, together with suitable connections between the several electrodes and the source and a connection from 5 the cathode including said work circuit, whereby when the energizing of the electromagnet occurs in an unfavorable cycle of the supply, the magnet is deenergized and upon a su sequent energizing of the magnet, the starting .0 eration is repeated.

Si ed at ew' York, in the county. of New ork, and State of New York, this 17th day of January, A. D. 1905.

PERCY H. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

WM. H, OAPEL, Gnome H. STOGKBRIDGE. 

